Do MBBs make exceptions for people regarding the interview process? I'm asking because I've talked to a few folks who didn't have to jump through all the hoops during the interview process because they knew the partner at the office where they were applying…is this normal? Do they make exceptions for certain people?
Just want to know if this is the kind of environment I can expect so I can make an informed decision.
Hi there,
1) Is it possible to skip steps in the interview process?
Yes. If you already have other offers, come from one of the selected programs MBB have or interviewed in the past and were close to an offer, you may be able to skip some steps.
2) Is it possible to skip steps in the interview process only because you know a partner?
No (at least in theory and personally I never heard about a case like that in MBB). Knowing a partner can help to be invited for interviews if he/she is referring you, but won’t per se help to skip steps of the process.
If you think about it, it makes total sense. It would be very risky for a partner to have someone hired just because he/she is a personal connection if the candidate is not good for the job:
Best,
Francesco
I would fully second Pedro's and Ian's standpoints. In 6 years, I have not seen this happen even once, at least in the firm and regions (Europe, Middle East, Australia and SEA) I worked.
MBB pride themselves with being fully meritocratic when it comes to hiring decisions and any such exceptions / deviations would for sure hurt that reputation. That said, it's very unlikely that someone would ever get a free-ride / skip interview steps in the process.
Hi there,
This shouldn't happen and I honestly think either those people are bs'ing or they don't know what they're talking about. (Though, hey, maybe I'm the one who's wrong here)
There are situations where people go through fewer rounds/interviews but this is generally because of differences in offices, role requirements, the candidate's background or the candidate's history with the firm (applied/interviewed previously, etc.).
I've never heard of someone literally skipping an interview round because they knew someone at the firm, so I'm genuinely surprised to hear this!
I think this is extremely unlikely. In 10 years in strategy consulting across several firms never heard of something like this, and find it very unlikely to happen given the culture, processes, and even possible consequences.
While the process is not necessarily the same for everyone, it doesn't change just because you know a partner.
Hey there,
Yes, it is, however, these are 0.001% exceptional cases and usually refer to children of high-caliber politicians or other very influential people.
Of course, this is not openly communicated. A quick Google search might be quite enlightening.
Cheers,
Florian
Expert case by